Audiobus: Use your music apps together.
What is Audiobus? — Audiobus is an award-winning music app for iPhone and iPad which lets you use your other music apps together. Chain effects on your favourite synth, run the output of apps or Audio Units into an app like GarageBand or Loopy, or select a different audio interface output for each app. Route MIDI between apps — drive a synth from a MIDI sequencer, or add an arpeggiator to your MIDI keyboard — or sync with your external MIDI gear. And control your entire setup from a MIDI controller.
Download on the App StoreAudiobus is the app that makes the rest of your setup better.
Comments
I don't have the app, but have tried it out on my PC. As someone who is almost certainly getting an OB-6 at the end of this month (and have spent hours in a store using it), I can tell you that this app certainly seems to capture an overall feeling of Oberheim.
On the desktop, bx_oberhausen has a better sound (but is still software sounding compared to the real thing), and I've no doubt that the forthcoming Synapse Audio Oberheim emulation will be pretty amazing, like The Legend is.
Has this OB-Xd presets?
I could not find anything like this in the standalone or the AU, but I am prone to blindness....
I dialed around a bit, but could not get anything similar like the typical Oberheim sound that I know and had hopes for presets
I don’t believe so but there’s a mosaic script that has some. Not sure if original or all of them, and I found it a bit fiddly.
Thanks, @dreamsaremaps
I use the Mozaic script. Most presets work fine and a few don’t seem to. Then I save them into the host I’m using.
The awkward thing is when you create or modify a preset in one host and want to transfer it to another. The few times I’ve done that so far I’ve actually screenshot the synth and used that to re-create the preset in the other host. Clunky but it works.
This has become one of my favourite synths and I use it all the time. Run through some effects and it’s just wonderful.
Was it ever addressed why (in the heck) this app Doesn’t have presets?
The current developer took over the code from the original developer and may not have the same technical know-how. There are several threads over at Gearslutz that involve a lot of name calling hence no linking. I have no idea what the truth is but I bought the initial release and it is so far the only app for which I requested (and got) a refund.
Well , I’m biased. Just like a real old school synth, you have to roll your own (or use the Mozaic script) but once you’ve done that, you can save your work as an AUM preset. I even like the purity of its lack of effects. Since I only ever write in AUM, (and master in Cubasis) none of this is a hardship, and I like the different interaction I get when forced to make my own sound, rather than scroll through hundreds of other peoples. Don’t use it all the time, but when I want that knob twiddling vibe, I find it therapeutically easy to get to grips with and to my ears, it sounds great.
I believe that the current "developer" was the original coder's business partner and that the coder died in a car crash. The current developer contracted out the coding on the app as I understand it as he isn't a coder. I could be wrong about that. It may explain the sporadic development and some of the quality control issues.
Oh man.. coder car crash is movie-script-esque.
I didn't realize until now that one can use AUM presets as a means to OBXD Save. Thanks all for the info.
I think you’re right. It’s been over a year since I last looked (?).
For those that don't know, OB-Xd is an open-source project. Some industrious iOS coder could do another implementation of this. Could be a nice project for someone that wants to get into iOS coding.
So I think part of that story is right but Arguru died a long time ago. He was working for Image Line when he got into the accident. Jorge has been running the company on his own for years. I believe the ob-xd code was based on an open source project.
@rezidue : thanks for the info. The base code is for sure open source and can be found on GitHub. Would love to see a responsible dev do something with it.
You are not kidding. Died on June 3rd 2007.
The OB-Xd really shines when "dialed-in" just right, and output through a chorus, and/or other effects.
I've been able to get some distinctively Oberheim-sounding sounds out of it.
I think a fully functional OB-Xa emulator with patch storage would make a lot of vintage synth fans happy.
I've also been able to make Oberheim-sounding sounds with Yonac's new Magellan 2 synth.
But vintage synth emulators like all the Korg and Moog synths, are for me both about their sound, and roles they had in the history of music. It's fun to be able to turn knobs and play around with these synths from the past, all on an iPad.
He was a really good guy. I was friends with him during the Buzz years. He made some great plugins and hosts. Renoise is based on a project of his.
Rest in peace.
Regarding presets, it would be nice if the dev implemented global preset saving so those made and saved in AUM could be loaded elsewhere. This wouldn’t require any GUI changes but I’m not sure how difficult it is to enable in an AUv3.
The new update gives you 8 presets!
More coming in 1.2
Awesome news. This is one of my favourite synths.
I confess I had given up hope of seeing preset capability at all and was about to start my own port of the code.
The presets are a good starting point. Still can’t save your own except in host. Next update should expand on that hopefully.
Might as well give it a go anway, as every issue is going to be painfully slow to fix with this one...
Bit of a mess on my iPad this app. Still! I wish it would work properly because it can sound really nice. It’s just that the interface is all messed up. I live in hope.
Interface is fine on 2019 iPad. You have a Pro?
The Mozaic script that was created a few months back made this so useful. I used it to generate around 200 AUM presets. Glad to see an update.
This thing has always been so easy to dial in sounds with that the presets hasn’t been too much of an issue but it would be nice to not have to depend on a daw to save them
Yeah it’s fine on my 1st and 2nd generation Pro’s (10.5”and 12.9”)
No, I’m 3rd generation iPad Pro. When I resize the window in AUM it takes ages to re-render.
Version 1.2 is out:
120+ new presets.
Fixed polyphony configuration bug.